


Hasta La Later

by foxsmoulder



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Langst, M/M, Others' Are Briefly Mentioned, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Video Messages Over Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 19:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxsmoulder/pseuds/foxsmoulder
Summary: "This is gonna sound so weird saying this out loud, but if you’re watching this…” Lance’s smile fell as he stared straight into the camera. “It means I’m no longer around.”He stared at the screen for a couple more seconds before letting a smile break out, showing his beautiful teeth.“I’m kidding. Hopefully,” Lance smirked.





	Hasta La Later

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Obviously, there's a warning so please heed that warning! Nothing graphic or anything, just... sadness, and lots of fluffy stuff too. I love my boys!

 

 

> **001.**

“So, I know you were always going to make fun of me for making these.” Lance smiled into the camera, his eyes soft and his smile softer still. “But, we got the tech and an eternity in space, so why not.”

“And… this is gonna sound so weird saying this out loud, but if you’re watching this…” Lance’s smile fell as he stared straight into the camera. “It means I’m no longer around.”

He stared at the screen for a couple more seconds before letting a smile break out, showing his beautiful teeth.

“I’m kidding. Hopefully,” Lance snorted. “I haven’t yet decided when I’m gonna show you these, maybe when I finally tell you how I feel about you – probably never – maybe when I pluck up the courage to put a ring on your finger, maybe… maybe I never really will show you these. So… there you go.”

Lance shrugged and ran a hand across his face.

“We’ve been out here for a long time. Longer than I ever would have imagined we would be.” Lance breathed. “And… you’re not here. I get it, you had to do what was right, what was best for you.”

Lance looked away from the camera, to the hands in his lap.

“But… I miss you.” His voice was low again, “I’m starting to get a little sick of missing people.”

He laughed, but he didn’t sound like he meant it.

“I don’t really have much else to say except…” Lance tilted his head to his side. “If you are watching this, then I hope it’s because I did tell you how I felt.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go before this gets too sad.” Lance chuckled, throwing finger-guns at the camera. “Hasta La Later Keith!”

 

 

> **004.**

“Okay, so you came to visit us today.” Lance smiled, leaning forwards on the desk, resting his head in the palm being propped up by his elbow. “I mean… sure we communicate but it’s not the same as actually seeing you in the flesh.”

“Boy oh boy,” Lance groaned, dropping his head to the table. “I was super hoping that the age-old saying that ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ was just bull. But it’s not. Because… oh my god.”

Lance lifted his head gently to look at the screen.

“You’re even prettier in person than I remember.” Lance sighed, lifting himself up again and tapping the side of his face. “I even think you look good with that scar of yours’. Though I dread to find out where you got it from.”

His eyes dropped to the table.

“I hate that… there are things happening to you,” Lance shivered. “Bad things that I’m not there for. Not because I want to protect you, because the fact that that scar even exists is proof you survived and you definitely don’t need protecting.”

“But because… you’re living a whole life, a whole existence, without me.” Lance dropped back against the chair. “I’m so selfish, I know. You’re a whole person, you’re an awesome hero, and if I thought I missed you before, old me had no idea what it meant to miss someone till now.”

“Is it only going to get worse from here?” Lance winced, pulling his arms around his chest. “Is this all I am now.”

Lance fell silent for a couple of seconds.

“It was really cool to see you though,” He smiled, genuinely. “I like that your voice sounds the same, that you still tease me like you always do.”

“But I always wonder, you don’t tease anyone else the way you tease me…” Lance faltered. “It sounds weird but… is that because you feel like you can because you’re comfortable with me? Or is it because god… you do actually hate me?”

“Okay, I’m... gonna go. Hopefully the next couple won’t be so fucking sad.” Lance laughed. “Maybe you’ll never see these because I got over your mullet-wearing ass.”

“Hasta La Later, Keith.” Lance smiled.

 

 

> **008.**

“Okay! So we just got back from the sweetest little beach planet ever!” Lance exploded onto the screen, still wearing a Hawaiian shirt. “I remembered also that I picked this up from the Space Mall when we went there a couple days ago.”

Lance held a hand around his mouth like he was telling a secret.

“Don’t worry, I got you one. Yours’ is red.” Lance chuckled. “Because even though you’re always in black and glow purple, your colour is red.”

“And DAMMIT if red and blue don’t look awesome together.” Lance grinned, leaning forwards on the desk. “It’s funny. Since the last time I saw you, you’ve actually been sending me little messages.”

“It’s annoying though, because I don’t know Morse code.” Lance whined unhappily. “And Pidge is ‘too busy saving the universe’ to bother to help me learn it.”

“So, sorry if I can’t send anything good back. I just… keep doing beeps.” Lance grinned. “I’m kinda hoping that they all just say AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.”

“But, anyway, back to the beach planet.” Lance grinned holding up his hands. “I’m not sure if you would have loved it, since you’re pale as fuck, but man, oh man, it was almost like being back on earth.”

“But… y’know, the sun could scorch your skin clean off if you accidentally stepped out of the shade when it was doing its quarter hour solar flare.” Lance chuckled. “Apart from that, my fourteen minutes in the water was pretty pleasant. And the food was great.”

“I’m sure you would have hated it, even if you’d have loved to watch the solar flares.” Lance grinned, tapping his chin. “But it would have been nice for you to have been there.”

“Your… messages are like the brightest part of my day sometimes.” Lance huffed. “Even if I can’t fucking understand them!”

“Hasta La Later, Keith.”

 

 

> **015.**

“Okay, I’m doing this one super quiet.” Lance was far too close to the camera, with a goofy grin on his face. “Because you’re right outside, wondering what the fuck I’m doing, but I just had to do this super quick.”

“Because… god.” Lance hid his face in his hands. “You’re here, and I’m doing it, and I just… if you kill me at least there’s proof that you did it.”

“I’m gonna tell you how I feel about you.” Lance whispered even quieter and closer to the camera. “I’m so scared, but I’m done with being scared of this kind of thing.”

“I don’t think it’ll make you stay, and I don’t want it to, but I gotta tell you,” Lance sighed. “It’s eating me alive, and Allura seems to think it’s a good idea, Hunk is bored of my complaining and Pidge keeps reading your messages with this stupid smile on her face and refusing to tell me what it means.”

“But, she is actually teaching me Morse code.” Lance smirked. “So, I’m sure at some point I’ll be able to read what you’re saying.”

“Anyway, wish me luck…” Lance winced. “Good luck me.”

“Hasta la later Keith.”

 

 

> **016.**

Lance was bright pink with his hands covering his face, hunched over like he was in pain.

“Okay.” Lance breathed, finally pulling his hands away from his face. “Okay, so it didn’t really go as I planned, because, you might have run away.”

Lance laughed, though it sounded hollow.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised.” Lance winced. “I mean, you’re still on the ship, but you’re avoiding me, so… that sucks. I don’t know if I prefer that to being out-right rejected.”

Lance sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“I’m sorry I made things weird.” Lance sighed. “I didn’t sleep last night because I feel like a prized asshole. I would have gone to find you but… I don’t know what I’d do if you actually told me you didn’t feel the same way.”

“Maybe you never actually will see these.” Lance lowered his eyes from the camera.

“Hasta la… later.”

“Keith.”

 

 

> **020.**

Lance was sat with a huge pile of slips of paper.

“SO! I found a Morse code book in Pidge’s room.” Lance grinned, slamming the book down onto the table beside the paper. “Sorry, Pidge, if you’re watching this for whatever reason.”

“And, last night, I sat down and translated every single message.” Lance grinned. “And it made me keenly aware of how much I hate Pidge, not so sorry for that, Pidge.”

Lance picked up a slip of paper and read it aloud.

“ _Dear Lance_ – boy you’re formal, I’m not surprised – _I miss you_.” Lance beamed up at the camera. “You soppy asshole, you miss me? Aw, that’s gross.”

He picked up another.

“ _Dear Lance_ – Again, you’re like a forty-year-old – _I hope you know you’re literally just writing the letter A over and over again_.” Lance chuckled. “See?! That’s what I hoped it would be, just an excited exclamation of the letter A. I bet you could imagine me doing that in person as well,”

“There’s a lot of these, so let’s just get to the good stuff.” Lance grinned, rooting around in the pile. “So, you sent this to me the day before I told you how I felt about you.” 

“ _Lance_ – the formality is gone, but you’re still putting my name first – _I’m seeing you tomorrow. And I’m kind of nervous_.” Lance glanced up at the camera for a couple of seconds. “But you don’t go into any detail about why you’re nervous.”

“And this next one, is from the day after you left.” Lance rolled his eyes. “Because you avoided me for three days straight you asshole.”

“ _Lance, god. I’m sorry I ran away. I’m just not good with words_.” Lance recited, flicking his eyes up at the camera every now and again. “ _It felt like you were playing a trick on me, like you were making fun of me, but I realise now, after talking to Pidge, that you haven’t been able to decipher my messages, and she’s being evil and not helping you out_.”

Lance cleared his throat a little.

“ _Because I do feel the same way. I just can’t say it to your face just yet_.” Lance grinned. “Yeah you do, because dammit who wouldn’t.”

“Hasta la later! Keith!”

 

 

> **030.**

“Oh BOY!” Lance cried as he leapt into his chair. “I was NOT prepared to hear those words come from your lips!”

“I realise now I’ve just left you in my bedroom after you just confessed your understandably undying love for me.” Lance placed his hands together. “But. I’m pissed dude.”

“BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME FIRST!” Lance cried, slamming his hands against his chest. “I was supposed to say ‘I love you’ first! How dare you!”

“I’m so ANGRY at you!” Lance sighed. “I mean obviously, I’m head over heels with happiness and bursting with love but god dammit it was gonna be so good and so dramatic!”

“Lance?”

Lance’s head shot up and stared wide-eyed at the screen.

“What are you doing?”

The voice approached.

“There you are…” Lance whispered. “Hopefully if I stay quiet enough you’ll just… leave.”

But instead, Keith’s head popped round the corner, a confused look on his face.

“Seriously, what are you doing?” Keith asked, and Lance leapt from his chair.

“Nothing!”

“Oh my god, you’re actually doing the videos!” Keith grinned, approaching the chair with amusement in his features. “I thought you were kidding! Do I get to see them now?”

“N-no! No! Go away!”

“HI FUTURE ME!” Keith waved dumbly at the camera. “I hope you’re still alive!”

“Keith!” Lance exclaimed unhappily, Keith grinned and threw an arm around his shoulder, prompting Lance to cover his face.

“So I came all the way to the castle, to tell this idiot that I loved him.” Keith pointed at Lance whilst making severe eye contact with the camera. “Only for him to run screaming out of the room.”

Lance whined unhappily beneath his hands.

“So, Lance, don’t you think you have something to say to me… for me?” Keith faltered and gestured to the camera.

Lance let out a muffled noise.

“Huh? I didn’t… I didn’t hear that?” Keith teased.

Lance groaned loudly and dropped his hands.

“Okay! Fine! I love you Keith!” Lance cried, shoving Keith’s arm off from his shoulder. “I love your stupid hair and your dumb sense of humour, I love your heroism and bluntness and just everything! I love you and your stupid everything!”

Keith fell silent, apparently in shock.

“Oh Lance,” Keith breathed. “I knew you liked my hair.”

“HASTA LA LATER KEITH!” Lance screamed as he leant forward to turn the camera off.

 

 

> **035.**

“Okay.” Lance breathed. “God, I always start these with an okay.”

“But, it’s not okay. Nothing is okay right now.” Lance’s voice was heavy, laden with emotion, like he had a lump in his throat. “Fuck this. Fuck this war, it’s not fair.”

Lance tried to stifle his sobs but it did no good. He was still in his paladin armour, but it was scuffed, there was dry blood on his face.

“It’s not fair.” Lance cried, falling forward on his arms, resting his head against the table. “I… god, I almost lost you.”

“Fuck, it sounds so painful to say that out loud.” Lance sniffled. “So… there we were, rescuing a planet as we do, because we’re heroes, when out of nowhere, a fleet of ten or fifteen or so Galra fighters appeared.”

“Usually, that would be nothing.” Lance lifted his head and smiled. “But… we were stuck. Turns out the planet we were rescuing weren’t so… thrilled with us, like I thought. So, they trapped us under false pretence, and there was a raid. And… you… got-“

“You got shot.” Lance breathed, clenching his eyes shut. “And it was… god it was so fucking bad. Sorry, I know I should say ‘quiznak’ or whatever, but. Jesus, your blood was everywhere, you were so pale, and we were so far away from the castle.”

“We all saw red. I picked you up like you weighed nothing and fucking bolted.” Lance whimpered. “Shiro, I’ve never seen him so mad, him and Kolivan went fucking feral. They cleared a path with pure anger and I ran so fast, Allura was right behind me and Pidge was screaming like a banshee. Hunk deathly silent, and that’s how without even looking, I knew he was mowing sentries down with that vitriolic look in his eyes.”

“You were so pale, and we boarded the ship, Coran had a pod ready and in you went.” Lance whined. “And there you still are, and it’s been five days.”

“I know you’ll be okay, Coran keeps telling me you’ll be fine,” Lance sucked in a breath. “But I’m sure you died for at least a minute, you were so still, and you were so pale.”

“If I had taken any longer I’m sure that you would be dead right now.” Lance continued, covering his face with his hands. “But… if I had trusted my gut, if the other’s had listened to me, dammit if you’d have listened this would never have happened.”

“But, no one did.” Lance dropped his hands. “And you nearly died. And I should have tried harder, been angrier, insisted that we didn’t go. But… well, we’re heroes aren’t we? And heroes give help no matter what.”

“I’m gonna… go and see if you’re awake.” Lance pushed himself off the chair. “I love you.”

“Hasta la later, Keith.”

 

 

> **039.**

“Hey, so… you mentioned something about… coming to live back at the castle with us.” Lance could hardly contain his smile. “Which… y’know it’s just so great.”

“Because… I think you know as well as I do that it’s just so fucking hard when… I can’t see you.” Lance breathed heavily. “Especially when I know what you’re like. You’re so self-sacrificing, and I know the blade is all about knowledge or death blah blah.”

“And I hate thinking about the fact you’ll lay your entire life on the line for this cause.” Lance shook his head. “I mean obviously it’s honourable, and you’re incredibly wonderful and sexy for it, but GOD. I know they wouldn’t rescue you like we would.”

“But… god if you move in here.” Lance glanced up at the camera, the slightest smirk on his face. “You know I’d never let you go. No missions for you.”

“I’d have to lock you in our bedroom for ever.” Lance smiled finally. “I’ll tell Kolivan that you’re dead or something, and no, we’re not having a funeral, just… ejecting ya into space.”

“Boy, was that too dark?” Lance rubbed the back of his neck. “Hits a little too close to home that a joke like that could be true any time, huh?”

“We’ve been here for a couple of years now.” Lance spoke. “I wonder if… time moves like this back home. I wonder if in the couple of years we’ve been here… a hundred years has passed back home. Maybe… maybe my family is gone.”

Lance fell silent.

“War isn’t fun. Why is this still happening? It’s so fucking unfair.” Lance breathed. “I know it’s not all doom and gloom… mostly… but it’s not all fun and games like the movies will have you believe. I’m on a castle ship full of the people I love most in the world and I feel lonelier than ever. I don’t even know if you living here would make any of that better.”

“I guess we’ll find out, huh.”

“Hasta la later, Keith.”

 

 

> **046.**

“SO! I have a very good reason for the big stupid smile on my face.” Lance gestured to said grin. “Because, I have a plan. A very good plan, a plan that is gonna make you regret the day you were born.”

“Because, for once, I’m gonna beat ya.” Lance grinned, pulling a tiny black box out from his pocket and waving it smugly at the camera. “Because I’m GONNA ASK YOU TO MARRY ME! Before you get a chance to ask me! Loser!”

“Lance?”

Lance dropped the box on the floor with a loud bang.

“Please tell me you’re recording one of your videos.” Keith’s voice approached as Lance dropped to the floor to retrieve the box.

“Uhhh, yeah, so you can’t come in here! Can’t you see the red flashing light on the outside of the door.” Lance shot up, shoving the box into his pocket.

Keith rounded the corner, he wasn’t visible in shot but Lance was staring at something off to the left hand side of the screen.

“DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT ASSHOLE!” Lance cried leaping up off his chair and standing on it. “Stop that! Just tie your shoe laces and stand back up! NO! YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE SHOELACES YOU UNBELIEVEABLE BASTARD.”

“Lance.” Keith’s voice sounded from the left hand side of the screen.

“NO! Don’t you even think about it! This was supposed to be my thing!” Lance wept, dropping from to the chair to the floor on one knee, his head the only thing visible peeking over the table.

“Oh my god-“

“KEITH WILL YOU MARRY ME!” Lance cried, the sound of a box clattering to the floor once more as he groaned unhappily. “Dammit! I still beat you though.”

“Lance. Will you marry me… too?” Keith spoke, still not visible on screen.

“You answer me first.” Lance insisted, still both kneeling on the ground.

“Yes.” Keith responded, prompting Lance to leap from the ground waving the box in the air and dropping it again.

“BEAT YOU!” Lance yelled, grabbing the box from the ground again and dragging Keith into the shot.

“Proof! Video proof that I finally beat you at something.” Lance laughed victoriously. Keith rolled his eyes. “Also, my answer is also yes.”

Keith smirked, and handed over the box, Lance did the same and they opened them in unison, slipping them on their respective fingers.

“Uh, Lance?” Keith said out-loud, lifting his hand and tilting it, watching bereft as the ring dropped straight to the ground.

“WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND YOUR TINY FUDGING FINGERS?” Lance screamed, dropping to the floor to retrieve the ring. Lance whined unhappily and left the room, leaving Keith to stare at the camera awkwardly.

“Bye?”

 

 

> **060.**

“So, today is the day that we get married.” Keith smiled awkwardly at the camera. “A lot of… insanity has happened since the way we both… proposed, we’ve both been close to death and yeah… but here we are.”

“I’m probably talking to future me right now.” Keith glanced around the room. “So, hi, how’s it going? I hope this serves as a reminder of how damn nervous you were. Lance doesn’t know I’m doing this and he may never see this if he doesn’t go through it before he’s shown it to you now.”

“I’m… really nervous.” Keith ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not scared of marrying Lance, that’ll be the easiest thing I’ll ever do…”

He fell silent.

“I’m nervous because… it’s one thing to be in love with someone and lose them.” Keith closed his eyes. “It’s another to be married to the fucker. Because Lance will always say how ‘self-sacrificing’ I can be, but he is near suicidal. He always throws himself into danger without even thinking about his own well-being. He’s a damn hypocrite.”

“But, future Keith, if this is you I’m speaking to?” Keith opened his eyes and looked at the screen. “God, I hope you remember what this feels like. Not just now on the day you married your best friend, but every other day, every day that you’re lucky to be in love with him, and have him love you back.”

“I’m lucky to be alive, but I’m even luckier to have him by my side, and I hope you can say the same.”

“See you soon.”

 

 

> **061.**

“HEY! You, darn future boy.” Lance slurred at the camera, a tie hanging halfway off his head. “You got married today, congrats! AND NOW WE HAD A LITTLE TOO MUCH ALTEAN BOOZE AND NOW YOU’RE HAMMERED.”

“I left you telling Shiro how much you love him, and how much you love Allura to send you a lil message, because hell, I’m pretty drunk too.” Lance grinned. “I hope you remembered HOW YOU CRIED LIKE A BABY AT OUR WEDDING YOU LOSER.”

“I mean, damn I was crying too but you were sobbing.” Lance grinned. “But, I at least know when I’m gonna show you these messages. But, I won’t say yet. It’s a secret, I’m keeping it super-secret, so secret I might not even remember it.”

“But seriously. I love you more than I thought I could love anything,” Lance grinned. “I got a lotta love in my dumb little heart, I had no idea I was capable of any more.”

“So now, I’m gonna go and drag you away from our friends,” Lance grinned, slamming his glass down onto the table, by some miracle not smashing it. “And consummate this goddamn marriage. I’m gonna consummate you so hard, you won’t be able to think straight BOY. I hope that when you’re watching this in the future that our consummation is a fond memory.”

“Hasta la later, Keith.”

 

 

> **069.**

“I’m trying to plant the idea of adopting a baby in your head.” Lance spoke, fairly stoically to the camera, his eyes trained and hard. “But you’re like a brick wall dammit!”

“I’ve always had a big family, and god I miss them so much, and I would make a fantastic dad! But it’s so hard to say out loud when I don’t know if that’s what you want too!” Lance exclaimed.

“You didn’t have a family, apart from us, you don’t know what babies are like,” Lance sighed. “You might not even be aware of it being a possibility, but dammit I want a baby so badly. I wanna watch you wake up on the space equivalent of a Sunday with a gorgeous baby alien on your chest just so happy and content together. It makes me want to cry right now.”

Lance sucked in a breath, trying to stop the tears from falling.

“I know I should talk to you but I’m scared of what you might say.” Lance rubbed his eyes. “Because, we’re still at war. Who knew right? But we’re still at war and a war is not a nice environment to raise a child, and I know that. I know that more than I know I want children. But god, I want to be selfish in a place where I’m not allowed to be.”

“I love you.” Lance whimpered. “I love you, so I’m gonna go and ask you, because it’s so important to me, and I hope to god that you say yes.”

 

 

> **077.**

“Look, what’s that?” Keith cooed, pointing at the camera. A tiny green baby in his arms. “Can you say hi?”

Silence.

“’Kay, so you can’t say hi.” Keith rolled his eyes. “Not even to your daddy in the future, huh?”

The baby gurgled.

“So, this is Leah, but I’m sure you already know that.” Keith smiled, only half paying attention as Leah patted his face gently. “I wonder how old she’ll be when you finally see this. I wonder what’s happening right now with you guys.”

Leah cooed loudly, pointing at the screen.

“Don’t you even want to say hi to yourself, Leah?” Keith smiled, lifting her up to face the camera, with a tiny chubby hand she waved at the camera.

“I’m sure Lance has already explained the story about how we got this one here.” Keith smiled, pulling her against his chest. “It sometimes doesn’t feel real till I wake up to her crying. I always go to her no matter what. Because, you can’t say no to a face like that, c’mon.”

“But, it reminds me of everything that happened to us.” Keith glanced at the camera, still a little uncomfortable with addressing it. “Well, you’re me, I’m sure you remember it. Anyway, when I think about how things could have been, I will never be more grateful for how things ended up turning out, because come on, look at her face.”

“Doesn’t she look like her daddy?” Keith gushed. “I know that’s not possible but you get it.”

“Anyway, I hope you’re as happy as I am now.” Keith smiled down gently at the baby in his arms. “It doesn’t get better than this huh?”

“Bye.”

 

 

> **080.**

"Hey! So, because this is actually your second anniversary of being married," Pidge beamed from the chair, staring at the screen with her huge golden eyes. "We decided to weigh in on this little project of yours'"

"God, I hope I'm there to see it," Pidge laughed as she glanced back at, Hunk who rolled his eyes as he stood beside her.

"All of you say morbid stuff like that." Hunk groaned unhappily. "Can't we just accept that we're immortal and leave it at that?"

"Keep telling yourself that, Hunk," Pidge shrugged. "Anyway, thats not what we're here to talk about."

"This is about you guys, your gross, adorable little story," Pidge smiled. "We have been through some really tough times, and as much as I joke that you guys are disgusting to look at, I'm so glad you sorted it out all those many moons ago."

"If it weren't for you it might have happened sooner." Hunk tutted, Pidge raised her eyebrows in a feigned innocence.

"It was part of the Garrison's education! It was compulsory!"

"For students about to graduate!"

Pidge stared at him for a couple of seconds before regaining composure and returning her gaze to the screen.

"But we are really happy for you guys." Hunk beamed. "Not least because Lance finally stopped pining like a tree, but because we got to see you fall in love and become the happiest we've ever seen you."

"No matter what bad stuff had happened, you always made each other laugh at your awful, awful jokes." Pidge shook her head forlornly. "You guys were born to be dads."

"And I was born to be an Uncle!" Hunk beamed. "I mean, I was already an uncle but you get what I mean."

"And Leah is... just the cutest thing in the universe. It makes me so happy that I'm her favourite." Pidge grinned.

"I think we can all agree, Matt is her favourite."

"YEAH, well sometimes when she's overtired she THINKS that I'm Matt," Pidge explained. "So thats basically the same thing."

"No, no it's not." Hunk shook his head. "Anyway, we love you guys, so much. Things... are starting to look bad again right now, but I have hope."

"Me too. We'll be watching these videos altogether someday and laughing at how pathetic the two of you are." Pidge sniggered.

"Ok, we gotta go! We love you!" Hunk cried, clearly getting emotional. "Oh, and Pidge we gotta do that dumb thing Lance does."

"Oh yeah! Ready? On the count of three!"

"1..."

"2..."

"3..."

"HASTA LA LATER KEITH!"

 

 

> **085.**

“GOOD MORNING!” Lance cried, Leah clinging onto his arm the way she always did. “Well, so, shit has hit the proverbial fan, sorry Leah.”

“Because, as history goes, it repeats itself, so here we are, defending our shitting universe once more, again, sorry Leah.” Lance smirked at the child still attached to him, staring at him blankly.

“God, this might actually hit 100 videos! I am honestly proud of myself,” Lance grinned. “I really didn’t think I’d get this far honestly.”

The smile on Lance’s face fell slightly.

“Well, anyway. We’re in the middle of a war, again, but luckily, Leah has the greatest Uncle ever huh?” Lance smiled, glancing over at Leah who nodded.

“Coran!” Leah grinned.

“Yep, Uncle Coran. He takes care of you when your dads are saving the universe doesn’t he?” Lance smiled a little weakly. “Okay, Leah, do you wanna go and see what Uncle Matt is up to?”

Leah nodded slowly, dropping from Lance’s arm and running out of the room. Lance watched her go and turned to the camera with a strange look on his face.

“Keith. I’m gonna be frank with you right now, because I can’t be honest with present you.” Lance’s voice dropped so that it was barely audible. “I’m so scared. More scared than I have ever been in my entire life, what happens when you go? If we both go? What then, what’s gonna happen to Leah? What if the ship gets attacked and we lose Leah for Christ’s sake?”

Lance took in a deep breath, trying to settle his racing heart.

“I can’t say this to your face because what good is that going to do?” Lance winced, leaning back in the chair. “We’ll just keep telling each other we’re scared, and soon… we won’t have anything else left to say. And Leah will know, and then she’ll be scared too.”

“What if we all die, and all of this, all of our efforts have been for nothing.” Lance whimpered unhappily, and then stilled.

His eyes lit up like he’d had an epiphany.

“Dammit, Lance.” Lance said to himself. “Dammit.”

“Keith, future Keith.” Lance finally looked up. “I hope I don’t leave this too late, I hope you see these, I really do. Because, even if we do go, you, the paladins, Leah, have made me happier than I ever deserved to be.”

“You guys are my sun and my stars. My everything,” Lance smiled, running a hand through his hair. “And if I die, I’ll know that I died for something, and that I died happy, doing what I loved. Defending the fucking universe.”

“I love you.”

“Hasta la later Keith.”

 

 

> **090.**

“Hey, Lance.” Keith’s voice was wrecked. “I… I can’t believe I’m doing this but here goes.”

A silence that felt like hours passed.

“So… you’re not okay.” Keith sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. “I’m… making this in the extremely vain hope that you will be soon. When really I know that I probably will be watching this… on my own.”

“If… if I ever bring myself to… watch all of this.” Keith pulled a hand roughly through his hair. “I can’t… think like this because you might be okay. You… might. Leah… she’s confident you’ll be okay.”

“See you tomorrow.”

 

**091.**

“Dammit Lance! Wake up! You’re such a selfish asshole!” Keith slammed his fists on the table angrily, staring down the lens of the camera like that made any sense. “I can’t believe I’m here fucking doing this again, but we need you. So stop this.”

“We need you. Leah needs you, the team needs you, nothing is the fucking same without you.” Keith yelled, his anger oozing out of him. “I need you.”

“God, I’m gonna be so embarrassed when you see this.” Keith dropped his hands and his head followed suit. "If you see this."

Keith inhaled a deep breath, pushing himself up from the chair.

“Bye,” 

 

> **097.**

“You know, when someone’s in the healing pods, they already look dead.” Keith was staring at the floor, his hands in his lap, not daring to look at the camera. “I wonder if I looked like that every time I was in the pod.”

“That must have been really scary for you.” Keith’s voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. “Like… like that time I got shot, and you carried me the entire way to the castle and watched me almost die.”

“Except, no. This is way worse.” Keith heard his voice break, he couldn’t help the wince that followed. “Everyone tells me to hold out hope but I can’t anymore.”

“You… you did this to me. You gave me a life I didn’t think I deserved and now you’re not going to be in it anymore.” Keith sucked in a deep breath to try and quell the tears. “You fucking gave me everything, and now you’re leaving me broken in half.”

“I don’t think that Leah has left your side the entire time you’ve been in there.” Keith breathed. “She’s… young but she’s not stupid. And she loves you, her love alone could move mountains, so why won’t it bring you back.”

“Why does nothing work?” Keith sobbed. “I don’t want to be on my own.”

"I cant... I can't do this without you." Keith let himself crumble, rubbing his fingertips together the way he always did.

 

 

> **099.**

“Hey, future Keith.” Keith’s voice was low and dark. “I’m… I’m sure it’ll probably be more like tomorrow Keith, you’re not a far off concept anymore, you’re me.”

“And I’m… thrilled because you get to live through the entire fucking thing all over again. And I hope it was fucking worth it.” Keith pressed a hand to his cold face. “What am I fucking saying, of course it was worth it.”

“It was worth it, it was all so worth it, and it’ll probably kill me but I can’t wait to see it all again.” Keith finally let a tear drop down his cheek. “And you’re so fucking lucky that he did all this, for your dumb ass. And it was like he knew it would end this way, he was so obsessed with doing-“

Keith sobbed silently.

“Doing everything first.”

“I… guess in a weird way he did win this one.” Keith clutched his chest. “Because this hurts like death, and as much as this hurts, the thought of him going through this instead hurts way more.”

"You're a lucky guy. You've been the luckiest guy in the whole universe," Keith smiled softly. "And that should make this feel better but it doesn't. It's not... it's not fair. Lance always wanted to go out with a bang, and the universe did him so fucking dirty, he didn't deserve this. But saying that won't- it won't bring him back. Nothing will."

Keith sighed and glanced up at the camera, eyes tinged red.

“So… happy birthday buddy,” Keith chuckled, “It’s a bittersweet gift, but you can start from the beginning again, maybe it’ll make you feel better, maybe it’ll make you feel worse, but fuck it. You’re not gonna not watch it are you.”

He laughed, a low, hollow laugh.

“Hasta la later, Keith.”

 

 

> **100.**

“SURPRISE BITCH! Thought you’d seen the last of me, huh?!” Lance exploded onto screen. “Here’s your Easter egg. 100 videos, huh?”

“So, because I pre-emptively filmed this, you’re currently in the common room with Leah, Hunk and Pidge, playing a dumb game.” Lance grinned, pressing his hands on the table.

“And, like the first video, I can honestly say this with no irony whatsoever.”  Lance smiled a little darkly. “If you’re watching this, it means that I’m gone.”

Lance smiled and rolled his eyes.

“I know that this is super dark, and if I were still alive you’d probably kill me all over again.” Lance grinned. “But there we go, it’s weird to think that right now, in the future I’m not curled up beside you, soaking you up for all your worth because you’re just… the best thing ever. I know I’m probably rubbing salt in the wound right now, and I shouldn’t be this amused by the idea of my own mortality but I can’t help it.”

“I always had penchant for the dramatic, didn’t I?” Lance grinned. “That’s what you always used to say when I’d dance around the bedroom, or sing a goofy song to Leah, razzle dazzle and all. But I think in a way, you said that more out of fondness. You were the quiet loner, and I was the goof ball, and I think that worked for us.”

“And… when I first met you, god I wanted to hate you so badly.” Lance couldn’t help but laugh at the memory. “You were so wonderful and talented and good-looking, all the things I wanted to be, and couldn’t. It was hard and god I wanted to hate you, but those eyes, that hair and that butt. I couldn’t really ever hate you, but dammit I could give pretending a damn good try.”

“And then we got thrown into an inter-galactic war, and I fell for you like a fucking avalanche despite it all, and it almost killed me because I knew you wouldn’t feel the same.” Lance rolled his eyes. “And I never said anything because it felt like we had all the time in the world… universe, and then you, you selfish bastard, you left me to run around in a skin-tight suit and a mask.”

“And Coran had made us make these videos talking about ourselves?” Lance sniggered at the memory. “So I started making goofy videos as a way to get all my feelings out, and then by some absolute miracle you liked me back, and then for some reason you fell in love with me.”

“You idiot.” Lance pointed at the screen. “Look where that fucking got you… Sorry, that’s probably not very funny right now is it?”

“Maybe in about ten years’ time it might be funny?” Lance shrugged. “No sooner, because I’m a selfish asshole that wants you to be sad!”

Lance fell silent again.

“I’m kidding, I don’t want you to feel too sad, just the adequate amount.” Lance laughed. “I feel like I miss you already even though you’re right down the hall, and I can go cuddle you right now, how lucky are we, huh?”

"Because, you came back. You came back and we had this insane adventure together." Lance smiled, but his eyes were glassy. "And even if I'm gone now, you've got a tonne more adventures to go on still!"

“Here comes the same bullshit that everyone says when they know they’re going to die,” Lance pressed a hand to his heart. “You’ll never be alone, because… I’ll always be riiight heeerreee.”

Lance tapped his chest twice and the burst out laughing.

“Okay, okay, I’m gonna stop twisting the knife.” Lance smiled, standing up. “I’m gonna go give my husband the biggest smooch of his life, you might remember it even now.”

 

Keith did remember it. He could remember that if felt like every year they’d spent together in one kiss. He could remember looking at Lance with confusion in his eyes, and Lance - like always - gave him a knowing look. A look that didn't make sense until now.

 

“I love you, Keith, from now until the end of time. Go save the universe you hero, take care of yourself, and take care of our baby girl, thank you for my life, my crazy, wonderful, beautiful life.”

“Hasta la later, Keith.”

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know if you hated it/me  
> love you!  
> tumblr - foxsmo-lder
> 
> also! i feel as though the general consensus for this fic is summarized thusly - thanks! i hate it!


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